Delicious Sweet & Savory Avocado Boats: An Easy Recipe with Zesty Strawberry Salsa & Bourgogne Aligoté Pairing

Discover the perfect balance of flavors with these easy-to-make sweet and savory avocado boats. Filled with warmly spiced chickpeas and a vibrant, chunky strawberry salsa, they offer a refreshing and satisfying experience. Complete your culinary journey by serving them alongside a crisp glass of Bourgogne Aligoté for an unforgettable meal or appetizer.

Hello, fellow food enthusiasts!

I’m thrilled to share a new recipe that has quickly become a favorite in my kitchen, perfect for elevating any gathering or simply adding a touch of gourmet flair to your week. These Sweet & Savory Avocado Boats with Strawberry Salsa, expertly paired with Bourgogne Aligoté, are more than just a meal; they’re an experience in fresh, vibrant flavors.

Life behind the scenes at Flora & Vino has been quite an adventure recently. A significant development was upgrading my camera equipment after my trusty Canon’s LCD screen unexpectedly gave up last week. While certainly a disruption, it served as a clear sign from the universe to finally invest in a backup camera – a necessity I’ve long considered. So, I’ve been immersed in exploring new features and mastering settings, ensuring every photograph captures the essence and beauty of the dishes I create, much like the stunning visuals you see of these avocado boats.

This recipe was born out of a desire to create something truly special and memorable. It’s a delightful concoction that brings together unexpected yet harmonious tastes, making it an ideal choice for a celebratory Mother’s Day brunch, an elegant appetizer, or a light and satisfying lunch. Every bite is a burst of freshness, combining creamy avocado, zesty chickpeas, and the sweet tang of ripe strawberries. These stuffed avocados are guaranteed to impress with their unique flavor profile and charming presentation.

Crafting the Perfect Avocado Boats: The Foundation of Flavor

These stuffed avocado halves are truly a culinary delight, offering a delightful interplay of textures and tastes. Imagine the rich, smooth creaminess of fresh avocado meeting the bold kick of spiced chickpeas and the refreshing sweetness of fruit in every single forkful. The combination of strawberries and avocado is actually not new to the blog – you might recall it from my Low Sugar Strawberry Avocado Layer Shakes or my Strawberry Hemp Heart Avocado Toast. However, I can almost guarantee you’ve never experienced them quite like this – nestled together in a vibrant “boat” that’s practically designed to sail straight into your mouth. This innovative presentation not only makes for a stunning visual but also ensures a perfectly balanced bite every time.

Embracing healthy fats from avocados alongside the natural sweetness and antioxidants of fresh fruit? Count me in! This recipe celebrates both indulgence and nourishment, proving that wholesome eating can be incredibly exciting and flavorful.

Selecting and Preparing Your Avocados: The Key to Success

For truly outstanding avocado boats, the journey begins with selecting the right avocados. While I’m usually the first to advocate that “an avocado is an avocado,” regardless of its external appearance – often playfully chastising Dan for turning up his nose at a slightly bruised one in the fridge, claiming “Oh, I’ll eat it!” before scooping out its less-than-perfect insides – this particular dish demands a bit more attention to aesthetics. Because the entire concept of these “boats” hinges on their visual appeal, you’ll want to choose the prettiest, most unblemished avocados you can find.

The ripeness level is also critical. Opt for avocados that are *just* ripe for this recipe. They should yield slightly to gentle pressure but not feel mushy. Overripe avocados will be too soft to maintain their elegant boat shape, and you risk encountering unsightly brown spots or bruised flesh on the inside, which would detract from the overall presentation. For ultimate ease of serving and to preserve the boat’s integrity, I highly recommend leaving the creamy avocado flesh inside its shell. This not only makes them easier to handle but also adds to their natural charm as individual servings. The natural bowl created by the avocado skin is truly what makes these “boats” so special.

The Heart of the Boat: Savory Spiced Chickpeas

The first delightful layer nestled into our avocado boats is a richly spiced chickpea filling. This savory component provides a grounding earthiness with a wonderfully subtle kick of heat, perfectly complementing the creaminess of the avocado. The foundation of this layer consists of pan-toasted garbanzo beans, generously seasoned with garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder. This combination not only infuses the chickpeas with incredible depth of flavor but also packs a powerful protein punch, making these avocado boats a surprisingly hearty and satisfying option.

For those who love to experiment with flavors, I’ve also tried this recipe with an easy Tandoori Masala spice blend, which offers another fantastic variation with its aromatic complexity. If chickpeas aren’t your preference, or you’re looking to mix things up, feel free to substitute them with seasoned black beans for a different texture and flavor profile, or even cooked quinoa for an extra grain-boost. The versatility of this savory base allows for endless customization to suit your taste buds and dietary needs.

The Sweet Crown: Zesty Strawberry Salsa

Once our avocado boats are brimming with the savory garbanzo filling, we crown them with my latest obsession: homemade Strawberry Salsa. This vibrant, fresh salsa is a game-changer. My love affair with fruit-based salsas began a few years back when I first experimented with pineapple salsa, and I knew then that I had to explore more. Now, with strawberry season upon us, it’s only natural to incorporate these juicy red gems into everything possible!

This strawberry salsa is wonderfully simple yet incredibly impactful. You only need a handful of fresh ingredients to create a burst of flavor:

• Fresh, ripe strawberries, hulled and diced
• Finely chopped red onion, adding a subtle sharpness
• Fresh cilantro, for that essential herbaceous note
• A pinch of Himalayan sea salt to enhance the flavors
• The bright, zesty juice of a fresh lime

That’s truly all it takes! While you can certainly enjoy the salsa immediately after mixing, I find that allowing it to marinate for at least 30 minutes (either on the counter or in the fridge) makes a significant difference. This crucial step gives the strawberries time to soften slightly and release their sweet juices, which then meld beautifully with the citrusy lime. You’re aiming for a salsa that’s juicy and slightly saucy, with enough liquid to coat the other ingredients and ensure a moist, flavorful topping. For those who prefer a sweeter salsa, a tiny drizzle of maple syrup can be added, but I personally found mine to be perfectly balanced with just the natural sweetness of the fresh strawberries. This easy strawberry salsa is truly the vibrant star of these healthy avocado boats.

The Perfect Pairing: Bourgogne Aligoté

To complement these exceptional avocado boats, I chose to pair them with the new 90+ Cellars Lot 167 Bourgogne Aligoté AOC France, 2017. This delightful white wine creates a truly harmonious plant-based brunch or appetizer spread, elevating the entire experience. Aligoté is a wonderfully refreshing white wine varietal, primarily cultivated in the picturesque, rolling hills of Burgundy, France. It’s celebrated for its distinctly crisp and dry-yet-fruity profile, making it an excellent choice for a variety of occasions and food pairings.

The unique Aligoté white grape thrives in Burgundy’s diverse terroir, often found growing on both the upper and lower slopes of its renowned vineyards. If you’re like me, you might be thinking, “Ali-what now?” It’s true that while Aligoté has historically been a lesser-known varietal of Burgundy, its popularity has been steadily on the rise. Increasingly, sommeliers and wine enthusiasts are discovering and discussing it as an exceptional value and a versatile wine choice. And trust me, friends, it truly is a fantastic find!

On the nose, you’ll detect inviting aromas of fresh herbs, while the palate offers delightful notes of stone fruit, reminiscent of juicy nectarine and sweet peach. The bright, invigorating acidity of this wine is an absolute dream when paired with the intense creaminess of the avocado and the sweet-tartness of the strawberry salsa in our boats. The Aligoté cuts through the richness of the avocado, refreshes the palate after the spiced chickpeas, and beautifully complements the fruit in the salsa, creating a perfectly balanced and truly memorable culinary pairing.

Serving Suggestions & Customization for Your Avocado Boats

These Sweet & Savory Avocado Boats with Strawberry Salsa are incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways. They make for a vibrant, spring-themed appetizer that’s sure to be a conversation starter at any gathering. They’re also perfect as a light, yet satisfying, brunch option, or even as a unique and flavorful side dish to a larger meal. I envision them as a truly beautiful addition to an elaborate entertaining spread, bringing both color and fresh flavors to your guests.

Because these delicate boats truly taste and look their absolute best when fresh, I recommend only assembling as many as you plan to serve immediately. The good news, however, is that the delicious strawberry salsa keeps beautifully in an airtight container in the fridge for several days. This means you can easily prepare the salsa in advance and then effortlessly reassemble more Sweet & Savory Avocado Boats whenever the craving strikes or new guests arrive.

For those looking to incorporate these flavors into an everyday setting, consider scooping the avocado flesh from its shell after combining with the chickpeas and salsa, then using it as a vibrant topper for your favorite salads or grain bowls. It adds a fantastic burst of flavor, healthy fats, and visual appeal. And, of course, no matter how you choose to enjoy them, don’t forget to pair these delightful creations with a chilled glass of Bourgogne Aligoté to truly celebrate the flavors!

If you give these innovative Sweet & Savory Avocado Boats with Strawberry Salsa a try, I would absolutely love to hear from you! Your feedback is invaluable in helping me create even more delicious recipes. Please be sure to leave a comment, rating, and review below to share your thoughts and experiences.

Connect with me on Instagram and don’t forget to use the hashtag #floraandvino to show off your beautiful creations. I love seeing how you bring these recipes to life!

For more culinary inspiration and to save recipes for later, head over to my Pinterest page, where you’ll find a treasure trove of ideas just like this one.

Craving more avocado-inspired dishes? You’re in luck! Explore some of my other unique avocado recipes, including my delightful Almond Butter Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies, the rich and decadent Avocado SunButter Swirl Brownies, and my incredibly creamy Matcha Avocado Chia Pudding. There’s an avocado recipe for every craving!

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XO Lauren

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